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Trying out the Neewer NK002 camera and lighting mount for desks.

In this article I set up my desk with a new overhead camera mount rig from Neewer, the NK002. I’ve been using a standard monitor arm with additional mounting hardware to hold my camera for years, but I wanted to see how this mount works in my creative computer workspace instead. Keep in mind that they sent me this mount at no cost with the expectation that I produce a few videos about it based on my standard collaboration terms . The were not allowed to give me talking points or preview anything that I created.  Check out the full video on YouTube :  Check it out on Neewer's official shop (not affiliated).   Or through my links:  Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4g3I2GI B&H Photo: https://bhpho.to/3Ce6I1u   As an affiliate of Amazon and B&H, I earn from qualifying purchases!  Unboxing and First Impressions The main box with accessories. The NK002 comes in a big, solid box. It was shipped with dense foam support around the rails to keep everything prote...

Preparation for the Otakon Convention (Lens Kit)

I’m thinking about what to bring to the “Otakon” Anime convention. As this is going to be a big trip for us, I wanted to bring my A-game. The K-5 body is still MIA, but I wanted to have two camera bodies available. I purchased a used *ist D camera body.


That blurred coin in the image is a nickel, not a quarter!

I just had the camera delivered a few days ago. Really great. The small size is amazing. Guess which lens I instantly put on it? Yep… the DA 40mm f2.8 Limited. The grip is better than the old *ist DS I had, but it could have been better with some extra room for finger tips.

Surprising number of advanced controls and settings. Three custom setting saves. Timer button, green button, flash control button, af button…

I started by turning off all of the extras such as noise reduction and instant preview. With my 16gb CF cards a single RAW writes in around 9 seconds based on one test. Once the image is written, I can press the review button and the image comes up instantly. While I rarely use instant review on my other cameras, I might with this camera as a quick check in the field.

The only thing I see that is slow about the camera is how long it takes to finish writing an image. Everything else is pretty chipper. The buffer is big enough that I should be able to go about my business without delay.

Here is a little test comparing the *ist D and K-7 output with a 31mm lens:



I think the *ist D does pretty good for a camera that was released in 2003!

Well anyways, back to the kit plan:
– K-7 with grip and 31mm f1.8 lens.
– The Sigma 530DG Super flash, most likely used with the K-7.
– The *ist D with a FA 85mm f1.4 lens. I don’t currently have the lens in hand, but I should get it before I leave.
– The Kenko 1.5x teleconverter to be used with the 85mm lens so I can cover events at the convention from a distance. I’ll be using that pair with the K-7.

(before sensor crop) 85mm * 1.5 = 127.5mm . According to sources on the internet, a 1.4/1.5x TC should lose one stop of light, making the lens something like an 128mm f2. A more reasonable end result would be something like a 128mm f2.2 lens.

That will all bank on if I get the lens in time. Let’s hope KEH follows their shipping rules on overnight packages. 🙂 If you don’t know about the FA* 85mm f1.4 lens, it’s one of those special lenses that are difficult to obtain and usually priced to match. This lens was rated “bargain” quality, so hopefully it’s in decent condition…

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