My Camera Gear Buying Tips

I hear it all the time. People saying how they wished they had a good camera so they can take better pictures. These people need to be slapped upside the head. The camera is not what takes good photos. That's the photographers job. I know a few people who spent thousands of dollars on camera equipment and they actually think they are really good photographers because they have all of this gear. When in reality, their work is far from being good. I know that sounds kind of cruel but it's true. Just because you have professional gear, doesn't mean you are a professional. Sorry about that rant, now on to something that is possibly useful!

What I like to tell people when they first start off in photography is to ease into it. Don't go to the camera store and buy the very best that money can buy. Heck I have seen some very good results from toy cameras. If your not sure if photography is your "thing", think about getting a point and shoot camera. Many times the people will get better results from a point and shoot camera then they would from a digital SLR. Many times when people who are starting off in photography they buy a digital SLR with a bargain-basement deal lens. So the image quality of that lens is very poor. Then people get upset that their camera is less than what they expected. If you the type a person who knows that your not going to get into photography that much, then stay away from the SLRs. Go buy yourself a good point and shoot camera. The image quality is going to be a LOT better than any SLR + El cheapo lens combo. Plus, those point and shoot cameras have come a long way in the feature department. You can do many of the same things on a point and shoot as with a SLR.

OK, what if photography is your "thing"? I still urge you not to go out and buy the latest and greatest camera. Why? You need to invest in glass, that's why! Like I said before if you have a cheap lens on camera, the image quality of your photos will suffer. I'm not saying you can't get stunning photos from cheap lenses or that you shouldn't buy cheap lenses. I am saying don't waste all your money on the best camera body. Invest your money in lenses or other accessories that will help you expand your photography. In all reality a 6MP camera is sufficient for just about anything you'll do. So don't get into to the "more mega pixels are better" sales hype. My opinion is that anything over 10MP is overkill. The entry level SLRs can do most anything a pro SLR can do too. So don't worry about lack of features. As of what brand to buy, any are fine. I am a Canon guy myself but I'll say stick with either Nikon or Canon. Stay with those two only because it is easier to find accessories for them when your traveling. Don't get me wrong, Sony, Olympus, Sigma, etc... they all make good cameras. Shop around, see what one you like the best.

The summary of all of this is don't worry about getting the most expensive camera with the biggest sensor. It's not going to help you any. Spend your money on good quality lenses that will bump your image quality up. Or buy some accessories for your camera that you can use to dabble in other areas of photography. Such as an off camera flash, reflectors, studio gear, etc...

For more great comics like the one featured at the top of this page please visit What the Duck's website

What The Duck: Strip search

I am still alive. Help needed. Attention FORD.

No, I did not get hit by a bus.

Sorry boys and girls for the lack of posts. I have been really bogged down with work and school.

I have some bad news though, I have nobody giving me cars to test. As in no manufactures want me finding what's wrong with their cars. I been wanting to test the new Taurus. (Hint, Hint. Ford) I keep hearing how Ford is stepping up their game and building, do I dare say it? Good cars!

I can be pretty harsh on the big 3, but I do give Ford props. Over the past couple years they keep building better, and better vehicles. So, I am calling you out Ford. You think your new cars will pass my high standards? Send a tester my way and lets find out.

As for the photography portion of my blogg, I have been really slacking off. I promise I will get some new stuff posted up. It might be awhile though. (Finals :( )

The good news is I get a bunch of time off for the holidays. Keep checking in from time to time. I promise I will get new stuff posted up.

2010 Volkswagen Golf & GTI, Impressions.

VW drops the Rabbit nameplate and gives us the new generation Golf and GTI. There has been a slight price increase on these two cars but honestly I could care less. These two cars are worth it. These cars are of very high quality. Just the other day I decided to take a gander at the new GTI. Some say the new GTI/Golf looks uglier than your Grandma's bunions. I think the GTI/Golf looks very mean (Which is a good thing). It seems like VW is stepping away from their happy-go-lucky styling and designing more aggressive looking cars. The new GTI's interior is amazing. Good materials used throughout the car. It has a redesigned big chunky race-like steering wheel, sport seats, new instrument cluster. Lets stop right there. There are only two things I don't like about the GTI. One is that new instrument cluster. They changed the color from blue to white. Horrible!!! That blue cluster was very cool to see lit up at night. Please VW change it back to blue! The second thing about the GTI/Golf I don't like are the crummy cup holders. They are just a hole! Give me those little "fingers" like the Tiguan has to hold my drink in place. The GTI gets a new type of differential lock for improved handling. I'm guessing the suspension has been tweaked to. Tweaked, not to be confused with Tweeted.

Of course you can get the new GTI with VW's DSG transmission. Which apparently can shift faster than the speed of light.

The Golf has the same aggressive looks as the GTI but the big news is what's under the hood. For 2010 the the Golf comes with VW's TDI diesel engine. I think the MPG is around 30/40. Which is better than some hybrids. Unlike a hybrid you can drive a real car, with real power, and real practicality.

Would I buy the new GTI or the Golf? Absolutely not! Why? I tell you why. There is speculation that the R20 will be headed for US shores. The R20 is the replacement for the R30. The R20 will have the same 2.0L Turbocharged engine as the GTI but the power is pumped up to 250HP or so. Even better than that, the R20 comes with AWD for your cornering pleasure.

If the R20 fails to come over here the GTI will be my next vehicle. That is unless Alfa Romeo (Fiat) brings over the 147 hatch back.

Volkswagen of America

Ford Recall

Ford is recalling a bunch of vehicles that have a nasty little habit of catching on fire. This, my friends, is not new. I can remember several years back of this same type of recall. People have had their house burn down because of the Ford that was parked in the garage. This type of "problem" upsets me because it is life threatening. How would you like to be woken up by your significant other in the middle of the night telling you, "I'm sorry to wake you, but the van is on fire."?

If you have one of these recalled vehicles please sell it and get a nice German car. (preferably a VW) In all seriousness this recall is very important, don't delay, get it fixed by your local Ford dealer. It's free.

Recall Information - Ford

Ford Extends Largest-Ever Recall By 4.5 Million Vehicles - Wide Open Throttle - Motor Trend Magazine

Properly Adjusted Mirrors

Believe it or not but you probably have your mirrors adjusted incorrectly (On your car). I'll admit it, I did too. The majority of people have their mirrors angled so that half of their car is showing in the mirror. Or they have their mirrors angled so they can see their pretty face. Well people do need to put on their makeup or shave while driving, right? The correct way is to line up your side mirrors with your re-view mirror. There should be very little over lapping field of view when the sides mirrors are compared to the center mirror. This will help shrink your blind spots down significantly. Motorcyclists will be grateful.

Please check out this link. It even has pictures. Everybody likes pictures!

Linquist.net- How to properly adjust your mirrors

2011 Buick Lacrosse Spy Photo.

I wish I could have gotten a better shot but I had to keep driving.

This is another reason why you should have some type of camera on you at all times. You never know what you'll run into.

(Click on the pick to see full image)

House and Snakes

This is a pretty cool video of a shoot that involves the main actor from "House". It really doesn't show too much lighting setup but still worth the watching.

Here is the link...

Snakesonacane.com.

Photo a Day!

Take a photo a day to keep the lazy away, okay?

I posted a while back to take a least one photo a day to help keep the photographic wheel in your mind turing. I don't care if you think there is nothing to shoot. Take some photos anyway! Even if you don't think your photos are coming out any good. Take some photos anyway! Now remember you don't need to have your big SLR with you. Your camera phone will work just fine. Recently I just received an older point and shoot camera for free. So, I have been in the habit of carrying that around everywhere that I go.

When I was leaving a shoot I seen nice patterns so I took a photo with my P&S. Is it the greatest photo ever? No, not by a long shot. The idea with a photo a day is to keep your mind thinking about photography through out the day. Look for patterns, textures, shadows, interesting people, the list goes on. The more you look for these things the easier they will be to find. This will also improve your photography.

I believe that a photo a day is such an easy way to keep your mind in motion. It was worth another post.

Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Bag Quick Review (long term)

Crumpler bags, what can I say? Oh, I know! They are the best bags to grace our planet!
A while back I was looking for a well made photo messenger bag. I ran across a company called Crumpler, while their website is not all that great, their bags sure are. The thing I like about Crumpler and their bags, including the "7 Million Dollar Home", is that they are different. The company is in their own world, (a VERY good thing), and their photo bags don't look like your typical boring black photo bag. Because their bags don't look like a typical photo bag, theives might over look them.
Ok, now to the 7 Million Dollar Home. I had the bag for a few years now and all I can say is his is a great bag. The years that I had it nothing has gone wrong with it. Although I did notice when I moved my padded dividers around a lot, some of the velcro "hooks" came off and where stuck on the inside lining of the bag. I think these "hook" came from the ends of the velcro where it was cut. This is a very minor complaint though.

This bag can hold a lot of gear. I can put my trusty Sigma 50-500mm, upright in this bag. (Without the camera attached) A camera body with lens attached. My flash and another lens or two. There are also pockets to put memory, filters, wires etc... Those pockets are big but they don't have little holders for your stuff. So it can get a little messy.

This bag does seem to be somewhat water resistant too. You do have to be careful though. Where the flap folds over, it leaves two holes on each end on top of the bag.

It a very durable bag and you won't be disappointed if you get one. In fact you'll be so happy you bought one of these bags that you'll want to spread the word. From your rooftop, at 3:00AM, on a Monday.

Side Note: Photo's are on their way.

Also I have plans for a review of the 2009 Land Rover LR2. I told you I did a lot of testing in the small luxury SUV market.

2009 & 2008 BMW X3 Review and Opinions

I have no problem with people calling me names or people telling me they hate me. It doesn't bother me because I know those things they call me aren't true or the person is just worked up and is letting off some steam. Now, if someone tells me they are disappointed in me, I feel horrible. Them being disappointed shows that they where expecting good things from me and that I let them down. They figure I am capable of so much more than what I did. This is kind of how I feel about the 2009 BMW X3. The two main disappointments with the X3 were interior quality and cost.

First lets go over the good points.

Personally, I think the X3 is a good looking SUV. While, others might say it reminds them of a plate of sick. There is decent cargo room and passenger room. Although not as good as some other rival's.

Perhaps the only exciting feature of this SUV is it's handling. For starters the X3 has near 50/50 weight distribution. The suspension is on the harder side, for some it might be too hard. There is also a very good all-wheel-drive system. All three of these things combined make for one very good handling vehicle. The X3 is a blast to drive. It stays planted at high speeds and goes through corners as if it was on rails. The only down side is that the X3 is a horrible off roader. For the record buying a BMW for off-roading is like wiping before you poop, it just does not make any sense. (gross huh?) The X3 will get you through the snow all right, you might want to invest in snow tires though. To go along with this great handling you get an inline 6 cylinder engine. While it's not the most powerful engine in the world it is still fun.

Now onto the bad side of this BMW. The interior is not greatest, it seems to be below BMW standards. The fit and finish OK, just the quality of the materials used is worse than other BMWs.

The worst thing about the X3 is the price. The base price for an X3 is close to 39K and you don't get anything. No leather, tinted windows, heated seats, metallic paint, NAV, or even an alarm system. Lets just say the thing is barren. I am very surprised BMW lets you have fog lights standard. Let me correct myself, you do get something for all that money. What you get is an SUV that handles like a sports cars. This is the SUV for driving enthusiasts. Unless money is no object, the only reason I can see someone purchasing an X3 is for the driving experience.

If you want a good, comfortable, mid-sized luxury SUV go with a Lexus RX 350/400h. Don't forget with the Lexus you get a nearly fully loaded SUV for a little less than the X3's base price.

The bottom line is if you want an exciting and fun to drive SUV go with the X3. If you need a little more cush' for your tush or want a better value for your money, go with the Lexus RX 350.

BMW X3 Main Site

Cars and Camera's Review of the Lexus RX 350

Crumpler Pony Box Photo Backpack Review

UPDATE: The laptop pocket is made for 13" laptops, My 13" MacBook Pro fits in it and there really is not too much "wiggle room" . May Mac measures roughly 9" wide by 13" long. You might want to look up exact measurements on apple's site.

I went to England over the summer, long story short, they had a Crumpler store! Boy, was I excited! (Oh, took some killer photos too)
I bought a new Crumpler camera backpack among a few other things. Crumpler has a different lineup of products in Europe then they do in the U.S. (I had my eye on the Pony Box for some time now but I had no way of buying it.) Now I am more of a messenger bag type person but I will eventually break down and agree that a backpack is more comfortable if your out and about for long periods of time. The reason why I like messenger bags so much is you can get your camera and accessories out of the bag without putting it down. You can even get stuff out while your walking. Not so with a backpack... until now. What I like about the Crumpler Pony Box so much is that there is a zipper on top of the bag so that you can get your camera out without laying the bag down on the ground in dog pee. The only problem is that you can only reach your camera and maybe one other accessory, depending on how you setup the bag. Unfortunately you can only reach the very top of the bag through this zipper, in order to reach the rest of the bag the bag must be placed on it's front. Unlike other bags the part of the bag that rests upon your back is the section that opens up. Some people like this setup, others don't. Personally, I like it. I feel that my gear is more protected from thieves. In past experience Crumpler's robust material actually is pretty dirt resistant too.
Now, I am a big fan of Crumpler, so naturally I have many of their bags. For the few years I had them I really beat the living snot out of them. None of my bags have broke, worn out, or failed me in any way shape or form. Most of them still look new. Crumpler bags are tougher than a Sherman tank. So take my word, the Pony Box is strong. Not only is the material tough, it is also rain proof/resistant. Crumpler also supplied a rain cover for the bag for your trecks though the Amazon rain forest.

Rain cover inside the side pocket.

The bag can swallow up more gear then what it looks like it can. I can fit 50D's in just fine and my trusty side kick camera. (My side kick camera is a Canon 350D with battery grip.) The Pony Box gets really deep at the bottom of the bag. I can stand my 580EX II flash upright at the bottom and it fits just fine. I can also fit more in the Pony Box than I can in my "6 Million Dollar Home." That includes my biggest (dimension wise) lens, a Sigma 50-500mm DG. Although I did have to get pretty creative with arranging the padded dividers. The bag has a laptop sleeve built into the back of the bag. It isn't removable.

The sleeve will probably fit a 13" laptop, it did not fit my 15" laptop. Not even close.

There are also a lot of other places to put memory cards, wires, pens, pencils, etc... (See pics)
While we are talking about size, this bag is a great travel companion. The Pony Box fits in a plane's overhead bins and under the seats fine. It even can fit in a regional jet's overhead bin. (A crj700) Also, this bag doesn't look as big as a house, like some other photo bags. It looks tailored, so the airline employees don't take it away from you because it looks too big.
As with all Crumplers, this bag doesn't look like a photo bag. That way the bag doesn't draw attention to baddies. My bag is a reddish-brownish. It looks stunning in person.
The Pony Box is very comfortable too. The padding on the back of the bag is very good. I thought the straps didn't have enough padding when I looked at it. I was wrong. They have plenty of padding, very comfortable.

View of the very well padded back...

I only have two gripes with this bag. Firstly, the outside side pockets can be difficult to open. (One has the rain cover in it, the other you can use for your ipod) Secondly, the top half of the bag is not very deep. In order for the bag to be styled the way it is, it must be like that. Even though the top is not deep, there's still plenty of room in it.

What a great looking bag, huh?

With my Sigma 50-500mm for size.

Note the flash in the "deep end".

See the Sigma fits....

View of the quick access zipper.

View of the same quick access area, but with the extra storage flaps out.

I should let you know Crumpler's websites are kind of screwy, you just have to put up with it I guess.

Crumpler's USA site

Crumpler's UK site, Pony Box page

Side Note: I have been doing a lot of apologizing in my posts for my pictures. Well, this post is no exception. I am sorry for the snapshot quality photos. I just came back from my trip yesterday and I am very tired and didn't feel like doing studio shots. So I took these photos in my bedroom, where my bed is. At a later time I will take better quality photos for yoZzzzzzzzzzzz.

Also, check out the archive (to the right of this post) for more photography tips and reviews. There is car stuff too.

2009 Lexus RX 350 Review and Road Test

When you think of luxury cars, what pops into your mind? Perhaps you think of Germans with micrometers measuring every single inch to their very high standards of the Mercedes they are building. Maybe you think of the British sculpting the works of art they call Jaguars. I bet you never associated the Japanese with luxury cars though. When I think Japanese, I think Nissan skyline, Subaru STI, and Mitsubishi EVO. These cars are loaded with High-tech gadgety goodness and are very, very fast. But those Japanese can do luxury and they do it well. Lexus's parent company is Toyota and as we know those Toyota's last forever, this reliability also trickels down to Lexus too.
Now, you might not get the soul, passion and racing haritage like you get in a Jaguar or BMW but if you go with Lexus you get a very well built vehical for the best price on the market.
This is the same story for the 2009 Lexus RX350 too. I have done a lot of vehical testing in the entry level luxury SUV market and Lexus stands out on top. The RX350 has an interior that is put together very well. The plastics and leather are of top-notch quality. The seats are very comfortable too. The RX350 is packed with so many gadgets and gizmos it makes a NASA space shuttle look primitive.
Under the hood you get a V6 that runs on premium fuel, if you complain about the higher cost of premium fuel you probably should not be looking for a luxury vehicle. Or at least buy an American "luxury" vehicle with their Tonka truck plastic interiors and pop can in the door build quality. Oops, off track. Your not going to get outstanding gas mileage with the RX350's V6 but it is still good. If your a "vegitablelist" who wants to save the planet you might want to look into the RX400h, which is the same vehicle except it is a hybrid but it is more expensive.
So the RX350 is built good, has many gizmo goodies, and what else?
Well... the ride is boringly good. The suspension smooths out the rode like it is supposed to do in a cushy luxury car. If you want a sporty handling SUV you might want to take a look at the BMW X3. You'll pay through the nose if you go with the X3 though. The X3's base price is more than the RX350's and you get a lot less then the Lexus too. More on that a bit later.
Do you remember the Jeep Commander that I reviewed awhile back? That is what I would call a big SUV. Guess what? The Lexus has more cargo room inside, even though it doesn't look like it.
I believe Jeep has 74 Cu ft and the Lexus has 80. So the Lexus has plenty roomy inside for those very long road trips. When your kids are hootin' and banging their heads against the windows, you won't mind so much because the Lexus will be their to sooth the tension that is building inside your head. The RX350 is a really nice place to be in. It's like a day on the beach, in Hawaii, with your favorite drink in hand, with bikini-wearing ladies walking all around. The Lexus makes you go," aaaaaahhh."
The major selling point of the Lexus RX350 is that it's the cheapest. Well, that really isn't correct. I should say the RX350 is the priced the best. Mercedes Benz has the cheapest SUV, the GLK, but it is smaller and you get less on it. If you get the based price (37-38K) Lexus RX350 the only thing you don't get is navigation. Oh, dear how can you survive without it? If you look at any other high-end manufacturer base price you don't get anything. No leather, no electronic goodies, nothing. You'll find out that once you start loading the others SUV's with goodies the price goes sky-high, well above the RX350's "all ready loaded with goodies" price.
Go with the RX350 people. Just because it is the best value doesn't mean it is junk or has no do-hickys on it. The Lexus has bulletproof reliability, great build quality, and is pretty much fully loaded at it's base price.

Lexus RX350 official website

(Again I am sorry for the Wikipedia photo at the top of this post. I am ashamed)

SIDE NOTE:
Some other options in the same segment.

1)Land Rover LR2 (great build quality, more off road-able, second best value for your money)
2) BMW X3 (more fun to drive but horribly over priced)
3) Mercedes Benz GLK (Starts at 35K without any goodies, it's a Benz)
4) Volkswagen's top of the line Tiguan (see previous review) or a base model Touareg.
Although a Touareg is one notch above this segment.
5) You also might want to look into Acura's and Nissan's range of SUVs too.

HONL Speed Strap Review (& thoughts)

If your into lighting with strobes, you most likely have Velcro around the head of your flash for your gobos and snoots.
After awhile this Velcro will wear out and you'll have to replace it. This can get messy. The Velcro can be more difficult to remove off of your flash than trying to get your dog to play Beethoven on the family's piano. Also, the sticky from the Velcro will goop-up your flash and make it look unprofessional. This is where the Honl Speed Strap comes in. Sure you can make one of these speed straps from a bit of inner tube and Velcro, but by the time you buy the materials and make one I think your better off just buying Honl's speed strap. There really isn't much to it. The strap wraps around your flash and it has velcro to attach your gobos to it. This speed strap has a rubbery/plastic non-slip backing to it so it wont slide about on your flash. The strap is adjustable so it should fit just about any flash. The speed strap is of very good quality, it actually suprised me on how well it's made. For about $10 you can't go wrong.
There really are no faults with this product that I can find. The only problem (if you can call it that) is if you have multiple flashes, these straps might start to get a little pricy.
If that's the case you might be better off doing your own DIY speed staps. Take a look at this link from Strobist.com to make you own Speed Strap.
DIY Speed Strap

If you don't have more flashes then you can shake a stick at, or you have some spare cash, go for the Honl Speed Strap.
HONL Speed Strap, for all of your goboing needs

So there you have it, a very cool and very helpful piece of gear that I can no longer live without,
The Honl Speed Strap.

Are American Cars Any Good?

If your a car-nut like me you probably are aware of the show "Top Gear" (UK).
Jeremy Clarkson is one of the hosts of this television program, he is also a columnist. Now, I have watched his shows and read a lot of his articles. His opinion on American cars is that they pretty much suck. He mentions how they are too big, ugly, slow, bad on gas, poorly built, and how they can't go round corners. I am going to have to agree with him. But as Mr. CLarkson brought up, American cars are perfect... in America. Take for example the new Dodge Challenger, it would not "work" in Europe. It's big and does not handle all that well. Heck, the Volkswagen Tiguan handles just about as good as the Challenger. The (SRT 8) Challenger is absolutely a pig when it comes to fuel consumption. In Europe you need a car that can fit in parking spaces and it must be able to be flicked around the city with ease. In America this is another story. Picture this, your travling down a freeway with very little traffic. The temperature is 76.5 degrees and you have your windows rolled down. Your arm is hanging out the window and the breeze is blowing through your hair. With that big V8 growling as you cruise down the road, you feel free... you feel alive. That is what the American car is about. We don't just use it as a tool, we don't care that it only gets 8 MPG, and we don't care that the door gaps are bigger than the Grand Caynon. We care about how the car makes us feel.

Side Note:
Also, we Americans like our cars to be a little more plush and our straight roads allow our cars to be plush. This is why American cars don't usually corner as well as a European car. You see in Europe the people tend to drive much faster, their highways have speed limits of 80 MPH. Except on the German Autobahn where you can go like you have bees up your back side. Unlike America's straight as an arrow roads, the roads in Europe tend to be very curvy like a dragon's tail. The European's need a car to be able to handle these curvy roads. They need a car to get good gas mileage too. You see gas prices in Europe are so high, that people are known to sell their grandparents to "employers" in Ethiopia.
I still say that European cars work great in the States though. Some people will say the cars are too small or the car will steal their job at one of the big 3. That is a whole other topic in itself.
I love a European tuned suspension even though our roads are flat. Yeah it might get jigglier then jello, but so what? I love to be able to feel like I am part of the car. A European car might not be as fast in a straight line but it defiantly makes up for it in the twisty bits.
Whatever you choose, American or European, take it out for a test drive. Both have their pros and cons. No matter what you pick, it will be a great vehicle.

2009 Jeep Commander Review and Road Test

Why do we (Americans) like our SUVs so much? Is it because they give is a commanding view of the road or because they big SUVs are safer than a subcompact car? Do we like them because we can look down upon other drivers in their teeny passenger cars and think to ourselves "I can run over your butt if I have too."? Even though people are trading in their Rhino-sized SUVs for eco-friendly Toyotas, there is still many of us who love our gas hogs.

Among the full size and medium size SUVs there's one brand that stands out above the rest, Jeep. Nowadays people are turning away from their mammoth sized Tahoes and Excursions and buying smaller CUVs but for the rest of us who want to down size just a wee bit, the Jeep Commander is a good choice. There is three choices of engines but you might as well go for the 5.7L Hemi engine. All three engines have horrible gas milage but for one MPG less you can have a rip-snorting beast of an engine. The Hemi equipped Commander is not incredibly fast but it is quicker then most other V8 SUVs. The milage is not good though. Real world millage you'll see 13 to 15 MPG in the city and 17-18 MPG on the highway. Well, what do you expect for a vehicle with the aerodynamics of a refrigerator? The top of the line Commander comes with a full time 4X4 system and it is really, really good. This Jeep will off-road just fine but if you really want to "wheel" it, you probably should go buy a Wrangler. The Commander is built for on road driving with just a bit of off-roading. Don't worry when winter comes 'round you'll probably won't get stuck. The commander's on-road manners are very good... for an SUV. The ride is smooth and it handles surprisingly well for being a big heavy box on stilts. (Nowhere near the pervasively tested VW Tiguan though) There are some shortcomings though. For starters the build quality is garbage. (Not talking about reliability, which is decent) On the outside the door gaps don't align up all that well. There are a couple sheet metal and paint defects on our tester. The interior is cheaply made, the plastics feel like they came from a lego factory. The buttons feel like they are going to fall off. The cup holders are just plastic holes, nothing to hold the cups in place, so when you go around a corner your cup slides and moves about. The fit and finish is just bad, peroid. This cheap build quality is not just a problem with Jeep though, it's a problem with pretty much all American cars. Sorry, but true. If your in the market for a good an SUV that is easy to live with and can have fun doing some weekend off-roading, the Jeep Commander is a no-brainer.

P.S. Sorry about the Wikipedia jeep picture.

Side Note: Although the interior in the '09 Jeep is pretty bad, the years before were worse. So at least Chrysler is trying to improve their cars. I also see this improving trend continues throughout Chrysler's lineup.

Cardboard Grid Spot

There are a few ways to make a grid spots. Some people use straws, while others use cardboard. Well, I used cardboard. I think it's about the easiest to make.

Just cut some cardboard into 1 & 1/2 inch (or smaller) wide strips. Your hight and length will vary from flash to flash. Glue them together and your golden. You might want to wrap a rubber band around them while the glue dries to help them stick better. I found some really thick cardboard so it only took three strips to cover the front of my flash. Once everything is done drying, you hold the grid to your flash with a rubber band. See how easy that was?

An example of using this grid...

Because the width of my cardboard strips are wider, the size of the light spot

that comes out of the grid is quite small

How to stay in touch with your inner photog.

Every so often photographers tend to get off the photography track. Maybe school, work, or family might get you sidetracked. Whatever the reason there is an easy way to keep your mind on the creative path. There are some photographers who told me I should go out and about and shoot something every minute or so, for an hour or half an hour, at least once a day. Not everybody has their camera on them everyday though, or do they? Almost everybody and their grandma has a cellphone, more specifically a camera phone. See where I am going with this? A great photographer, named Chase Jarvis has come up with the idea of using his iPhone to take pictures everyday and throughout the day. Since you carry your phone with you anyways, why not? Chase says he takes 1 to 1,000 photos a day with his iphone. The point of taking these photos is not being able to produce stunning works of arts. (Although it is possible) The point is to keep your mind thinking creatively. When your walking around and thinking, "what can I photograph", you keep keep the wheels in your head turning, all of the time.

Here is Mr. Jarvis talking a little bit about his idea.

"The best camera is the one that's with you." -Chase Jarvis

ChaseJarvis.com

Can you tell I am fan of Chase's work?

2009 Volkswagen Tiguan review and road test

"Buy American and save our jobs," says the bumper sticker on the rusty 1989 Ford pickup truck. When was the last time this guy contributed to America's GDP? I'll tell you when, in 1989. Autoworkers pensions are huge, their benefits are plentiful, and they cry when their pay gets cut by 50 cents. If you're tired of the American autoworkers and their cars with roast beef sandwiches between the door panels, you might want to try a foreign car. You'll even be helping out America more than that guy in the rust bucket truck. What foreign car do you want? You're downsizing from your gargantuan American SUV, but you don't want to go too small. Where does that leave you? Crossovers? Too "soccer mom-ish." Passenger cars? Too small. How about a CUV? Perfect. You can get a Honda CR-V, but the CR-V is boring and too reliable. Which gets boring. What about a Mazda CX-7? Ugly and who knows where a Mazda dealer is anyways? Volkswagen Tiguan it is. The Tiguan is the Touareg's little brother. VW says the Tiguan is the GTI of SUVs. I will have to agree. The Tiguan has sporty looks, European tuned suspension, and a turbocharged 4 cylinder engine that will propel the SUV from 0 to 60 in 7.7 seconds. As the Tiguan growls off the line there is a little bit of turbo lag, which only adds to the fun of driving this SUV. There is some torque steer in the FWD models but that too adds to the fun of driving. My test car was a FWD SE model, being so, the milage was better than a 4 motion AWD model. The milage was around 23 MPG city and rural (on premium gas). On the freeway the Tiguan can get on the good side of 27 MPG but the milage usually hung around 25 MPG. The handling is great. It feels sporty and planted on the curvy roads. If you're used to a big American SUV, the Tiguan will feel like a sports car. The cabin is quiet while driving down the road. The interior of the Tiguan is of high quality. There's soft-touch plastics through out, and all other materials are good quality too. The seats are comfortable and will hold you in place when going around corners. These seats don't feel as wide as American SUV seats. If you are of larger proportions, you might feel the seat bolsters a little more then in a Jeep. So what's wrong with the Tiguan? Well not too much. This VW is an upscale SUV so the starting price is a little higher then other rivals but you get more for your money then you might think. Besides the amazing ride, handling and build quality, you get many features standard. Such has traction control, all wheel disk breaks, and a bunch of airbags, an 8 speaker stereo, and even windshield wipers that move when you shut off the car so that the wiper is not sitting on the same edge as it started with. This makes the wiper blades last longer. If you opt for the SE model, which most will do, you get a lot more goodies. You get heated mirrors and washer nozzles, better stereo, leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter, fog lights, and the list goes on. The Tiguan is very safe too, it was a top safety pick by the IIHS. Another "problem" with the VW is that there is less cargo room then it's rivals. Although the rear bench slides back and forth to allow for more cargo room in the very back, which is a cool feature. The front seat folds down for your longer cargo.

So like the GTI the Volkswagen Tiguan is the best "all-a-rounder. "

Volkswagen Tiguan Homepage

IIHS Top Safety Pick

The next car review will be a 2009 Jeep Commander.

Cactus V4 wireless flash trigger review.

I didn't get around to writing the VW review, mainly because I have been distracted by these triggers. So, I will write my first impressions on these "Poverty Triggers." For those who don't want to shell out over 400 big ones for those amazing pocket wizards, there is another alternative, Gadget Infinity's wireless flash triggers. Now I never had the V2s but these V4s are supposed to be a lot better. The build quality seems pretty good. None of the plastic bends or moves on either the receiver or transmitter. Only time will tell how well the receiver will hold up with the weight of the flash head on it. Moving on to what you guys and gals want to know about, reliability.

Well, the good news is, on all of the shots I have taken so far, the flash has fired every time.

The bad news, if you can call it that, is the receiver was within a few feet if the transmitter.

What can I say, I only had them for a day. As far as setup goes, it is simple. I didn't even need to look at the directions. Just slide 'em on to the hotshoes and start shootin' away.

Before I forget, this V4 set came with a PC sync cord so I can connect the receiver to a flash or studio strobe without using the hot shoe. "When Light Dances" was also included in this set. It's a small book with photos that used Cactus's triggers to light up the subject. The book gives you a little diagram how the shot was lit.

These triggers are without a doubt, worth the $40 I paid for them.

A few (very quick) shots taken with a 580EX ii triggered by the V4s.

This one I used a "poverty reflector." (Folded piece of paper)

Straight from Hong Kong, Gadget Infinity V4s...

Gadget Infinity v4 trigger set

What is Cars and Cameras?

I started this blog to talk about two topics. The first is cars. I will be doing car reviews and talking about the automotive scene in general. The second topic I will be discussing will be photography. I will post some reviews of camera equipment, go over some tips and tricks , and I will be posting up some of my own photos too. All types of photography will be covered, including automotive photography. By the end of this week I should have a review/road test for the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan.