Skip to main content

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...

Ricoh buys Pentax from Hoya?

Pentax will be part of Ricoh by October… Huh? While not unexpected, it is a little abrupt.

Ritax? Pencoh? Nope…

Here is Ricoh’s full press release in PDF format.

“On completion of the Acquisition, Ricoh will begin to use the PENTAX brand name for some of its digital camera products, and HOYA will continue to use the PENTAX brand name for their endoscopes and other products. Furthermore, with the Acquisition, both companies will cooperate with each other to increase the value of the PENTAX brand.”

So it looks like they will use the Pentax name at least. I’ll assume that means the 35mm, 645D, and Q-mount will stay Pentax.

The Ricoh release is pretty positive from my point of view (unlike the useless Hoya one). It sounds like they respect Pentax’s history and want to really improve and grow the interchangeable systems. Maybe that will mean full-frame Pentax in the future and some interesting glass? It’s also interesting how much they mention the 645D system, so I suspect that was a big part of their interest in Pentax as well.

Aspects Pentax and Ricoh have in common:
– DNG RAW format (very glad about this one!)
– Their history goes back a long time. Ricoh film SLRs used the Pentax K-mount.
– Compact yet fully featured cameras will exceptional build quality.

Check out that release PDF for more information on Ricoh’s strategic objectives moving forward. It sounds pretty promising that more quality tools should come out from the Pentax name. Hopefully even better than what is currently offered.

– They will continue to use the Pentax name.
– They bought Pentax to further Pentax’s interchangeable systems lineup. Specifically saying they want to enhance and expand the lineup.
– They want to become a big player in the camera market (consumer meaning not big business).
– Use Pentax technologies to enter other markets. 645D image archiving business will need full featured tethering…

I’m pretty happy so far from what I’ve read. The CEO of Ricoh sounds smart and has an engineering background, which should be good for overall camera/lens quality.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Camera Gear Reviews and Marketing Issues Exposed

A great overview by Gerald Undone on his experiences in the field of camera gear related videos! It is an important topic. The more open the better, I’d say. After over 13 years making photography and videography gear videos, I’ve not had a huge amount of success comparatively, but I’ve also never been especially brand safe to begin with for these companies to consider me. 🤣 I think his mentions toward the end of the video are especially important. The unwritten pressure, or worse with companies like Insta360 , shouldn’t be acceptable and should be publicly called out more often. That’s probably the only way things will actually change for the better. I created a video detailing my opinion on the topic further: More of my comments on the video… His YouTube channel. 4:30 I understand that’s what Gerald does, but are there situations where companies are paying for flights and hotel costs of other reviewers with the expectation of a video/article being produced? (EDIT: I’ve seen confirm...
Read more

Viltrox AF FE 28mm f/4.5 VCM ASPH ED Lens Overview

Viltrox asked me if I wanted to take a look at this unique compact autofocus full-frame prime lens with a focal length of 28mm and a fixed f/4.5 aperture for Sony E-mount cameras. Viltrox agreed to my standard collaboration terms before sending me the lens.    In the video I talk about features, how it works in practice, and show photos I had taken on a photo walk with the Sony a7S as well as the APS-C a6000. Viltrox is starting this off as an Indiegogo campaign. They told me that it will eventually be sold through normal retailers: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/viltrox-af-28mm-f4-5-fe-chips-size-ultra-thin-lens They said it will be $99 USD or 109 Euros with discounts during the crowdfunding period. Check out Indiegogo for details. I am not an affiliate of that website. You can check on the status of availability through my usual affiliates: B&H Photo Video Amazon As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases!    The front of the lens. K...
Read more

First look at the Sigma 18-50mm F/2.8 for Sony E-mount bought from KEH

I've use a Sony Alpha A6000 and the PZ 16–50mm F/3.5–5.6 OSS kit lens with my computer as a webcam for a long time now. It's a lower cost option that has been very consistent outputting 1080p at 30 FPS to a USB based HDMI capture device. The kit lens is generally fine, but it has a few quirks. The biggest issue is that throughout the zoom range the maximum aperture value is not fixed. This introduces technical challenges when I want to show detailed views of product or similar use cases. There are also other considerations I'll talk about later in this article. So I decided to buy the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | C lens in E-mount as a replacement.  Links in this article are a mix of paid and through my affiliates. I earn from each in different ways. One is a flat fee and the others I earn from qualifying purchases. Considering them for your purchasing needs helps make the creation of this information viable!   I made a video unboxing the lens and trying it out with Open ...
Read more