Review

Regular readers will know that I’m partial to Dell’s XPS 15 as the Windows power laptop of choice. But it is 4.5 pounds and not going to fit into most messenger bags or lightweight daypacks. If you don’t absolutely need its discrete GPU, quad-core CPU, or 15+-inch screen, I can highly recommend the 3 pound Lenovo X1 Yoga (2nd gen), especially if you can afford the OLED display. I’ve been using one as my primary laptop for several weeks, and it did everything I needed, and did it effectively. That included not just processing RAW images from my Nikon D850, but running my 4K Video from my Mavic Pro through Premiere Pro and a set of color and noise reduction plugins.

If you pile on every option (high-end dual-core i7, high-resolution OLED display, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD), it is pricey at $2800 (currently discounted to just under $2600), but you’ll be getting an amazing machine. You can read my full review on ExtremeTech.com, along with my thoughts on it, its sister machine the Lenovo Yoga 920, and other Best Laptops for Photo Editing.

While not as new or celebrated as its bigger sibling, the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art lens, the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art lens seemed like a worthy candidate to test with my new Nikon D850. After using it off and on for a few weeks, I’m impressed with its combination of features, image quality, and value. It delivers excellent results for a value-price of $849 from B&H, compared to $2,000 for the Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G ED Lens.

If you want an all-in-one image management, image processing, and video editing suite, Adobe’s Elements has long been a leading contender. With its new 2018 version, Adobe has piled on a lot more AI-based features, including Auto Curate, a literal “eye-opener” for portraits, and some spiffy automated video editing tools. You can read more in my full review on Extremetech, or just go ahead and snag the suite of both Premiere and Photoshop Elements for $149 ($120 for upgraders through Adobe), or just Photoshop Elements for $99 ($79 for upgraders through Adobe).

I’ve had a lot of fun feeling like I’m personally piloting my Mavic Pro when I control it using Epson’s Drone Edition of their popular Moverio BT-300FPV glasses. It’s an expensive accessory, and has a few teething problems, but it does provide a unique and pretty-compelling experience. You can read my full review and see a video of me using one in my article over on Extremetech.com.

I love using my Think Tank StreetWalker HardDrive when shooting from a vehicle, like a safari truck in Africa, or a boat in Alaska, or even from a blind in Texas. With room for both my photo gear and my 15-inch laptop, it is one of the most-versatile photo backpacks on the market. But lugging it through airports, especially on the super-long walks we often face on international connections, is painful. So I was quite excited when Think Tank released a Roller version. I used a StreetWalker Rolling Backpack as my backpack in Alaska, and it did everything I wanted.

Photo backpacks are great for carrying gear, but they have one major drawback. They’re inconvenient to work with in situations where you don’t have the time or space to set them down. For that reason, I’ve always made sure that some type of sling or messenger bag was part of my arsenal. So I was excited to learn about the upcoming MindShift Gear PhotoCross 13 Sling Bag. I was fortunate enough to get an early version to take with me on my Alaska bear photo safaris and put it through its paces…

Like almost every pro Nikon shooter, I’m eagerly awaiting the new Nikon D850. In the meantime, I needed an updated backup camera for my Nikon D810. I wanted one good enough to use for “pro” work, but small and light enough that I could easily carry it in a messenger bag with my drone for field work. I’d already shot with the Nikon D500 and Nikon D750, which are both excellent cameras, but decided to be a little more adventurous and purchase the newer Nikon D7500, that fits many of the features of the Nikon D500 into a smaller, less-expensive, package.

Nikon and Canon’s long glass may be getting slightly lighter over the years, but those flagship lenses are also getting incredibly expensive. Fortunately there is a crop of third party value-priced lenses that have arrived to help out consumers. We’ve reviewed several of them in the past, like the Tamron 150-600mm G2 lens, Sigma 150-600mm Sport lens, and Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 lens, but until now hadn’t gotten the chance to take the lighter-weight of Sigmas two superzooms, the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary lens into the field. Our annual Alaska bear & puffin photo safari was the perfect opportunity. Two weeks of mid-range use for the bears coupled with longer-range use with the Puffins gave me a chance to put the lens through its paces.

Now that I’m doing more drone photography and videography, I needed a good way to travel with my DJI Mavic Pro drones. There are some really sweet hard cases, like this $120 custom-fit model from Go Professional, but unless you’re working out of a vehicle its pretty heavy and bulky. Since many of the great drone locations are best reached by hiking or biking, I wanted something light and convenient, that would also hold my tablet and tablet mount.

I’ve been having a blast with my DJI Mavic Pro drones. They are amazing pieces of technology, and DJI has packed most of the best features of the much-larger Phantom drones into this folding version. I’ll be writing a lot more about using drones for both fun and serious photo and video projects, but if you’re curious about what’s possible, I’ve written up my first experiences and notes in an extensive hands-on piece for ExtremeTech. When you’re ready to fly, you can pick up a Mavic Pro at B&H for $999, or get a more complete kit with some useful accessories for $1,299.