KevinKeeganPro.com Blog

The bag is slated for delivery tomorrow. It was supposed to be delivered last Friday 7/2/2010, via overnight delivery. I called Chrome, they told me it had, in fact, left their warehouse on time and should have been delivered on time. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Not sure if this is Chrome or FedEx’s fault, though I’m leaning towards FedEx since Chrome had recently switched to them, and even offered up their own complaints during our phone conversation.

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Well the bag is in. My first impression is that it is a “tough and functional carry-all pack”. JK, that’s just what the tag told me to say. I usually review products that are of use to me within my chosen profession, and for the sake of continuing that trend, I’ll say that this is a great carry-all for any environment, including media production. Whether you’re tossing gear in it for a shoot, or on the way for an interview at a graphic design shop with your sketches on your back.

Build Quality/Materials: This bag is definitely manufactured well. It feels strong. Impeccable stitching, quality materials, all of which were completely expected. Chrome lists the measurements of this bag at (W)12in x (H)18in x (D)6in. More accurately, the bags back panel is about 14in wide, while the front panel is only about 12in wide. Height for the back panel is 18.5in and 19.5in if you include the top carry handle. Depth is 6in. The bag has an EPA foam back panel that is very comfortable, Airmesh backing on the shoulder straps, stainless steel hardware to control the should strap sizing, and YKK zippers all around. As with all Chrome bags, the exterior material is weatherproof 1000d Cordura Nylon with an waterproof 18oz truck tarp liner on the interior.

Features: This bag has 3 zippered pockets that are also lined with the truck tarp liner Chrome utilizes. There’s also one open exterior cordura pocket on the right side, in addition to the main compartment. The first zippered pocket is located on the top flap of the main compartment. It’s small but is in a very convenient place for keys, cell phone, or anything you need quick access to. The next zippered pocket is on the outside. This one runs the entire length and width of the backpack, top to bottom. I was easily able to put my ipad (in it’s Marware Eco-vue case) inside with room on top for another paperback book. The last zippered pocket is on the inside of the main compartment and is the width of the bag but only about 10in deep.The last pocket is a great size for a water bottle or a bike lock and keeps it readily accessible.
The back panel is a creative foam mold and very comfortable, especially if you’re into touting your brand loyalty. The shoulder straps are also comfy, with breathable mesh, and stainless steel hardware to keep the webbing locked tight and to size.

To be continued…

I started off using “Brushes” for iPhone, a very capable app. But coming from a photoshop background, I was still missing a few features that would make painting on an iPhone an easier transition for me. “Layers” brings some of those features to the platform at long last.

The next tool is the eraser tool. Erase on any layer, with full access to the different brushes and sizes and a transparency adjustment slider. Finally! Like I said, I come from a photoshop background where I can erase something or even better, mask it out. But with “Brushes”, I was not able to do any erasing only additive corrections meaning if you went outside the lines so-to-speak, you’d have to re-paint what you screwed up with a similar/identical color. Seemingly “adding” paint strokes on top of paint strokes. Since you’re currently limited to five layers, there is still the possibility that you might need to re-paint or paint over something on one of those layers. Regardless the eraser tool is a very welcome addition.

Much of the same tools and utilities from “Brushes” have been used in “Layers” as well. Color sampling by holding your finger down on the color you want. Also an eyedropper tool that can sample all layers or your current one. Pinch to zoom, and also double-tap to zoom to a specific area (at 200%), and 1000% max zoom (over “Brushes” 800%) allowing for pixel specific painting.

Export settings include email as flattened JPEG, PSD (yes, a photoshop document) with layers, send to your photo album on your device, or save as duplicate. So you can take you’re layered painting and edit it right into Photoshop.

While this app won’t make you magically have talent (as I was hoping for), it will give you a greater tool set in which to create your next mobile masterpiece. Add a Pogo Stylus and you’re good to go.

You won’t regret it.

First off, there are a lot of great reviews of this particular bag out there on the interwebz. So I’m going to go over some of the same stuff and also some things that I haven’t seen mentioned.

The Classified Series from Lowepro is their attempt to create a more discrete bag for the photojournalists/travelers around the world. Features like the discrete Lowepro logo and more traditional bag shape and colors help to achieve this goal, but it’s not a miracle bag. It’s real potential lies in how easy it is to access your camera in a hurry and also return it to the bag covertly.

It’s available in 5 different bag sizes now ranging from the brand new Classified 100 AW Kit (basically a travel size pouch for a notebook and some other things and also two new attachable pouches “35″ and “30″), 140 AW, 160 AW, 200 AW, and 250 AW (the largest bag, which also can hold a 15″ notebook computer).

Let’s talk about the bag size first. The 160 AW dimensions are listed by Lowepro as 13.4W X 8.9D X 14H in. In actuality the bag (fully loaded) is more like 11.5W X 9D X 12H in. The height is from the top of the bag not the top of the carry handle and the width is with the “bull horns” tucked away. So this is a relatively small bag, especially when sitting next to the much larger 200 and even bigger 250.

As with all Lowepro products, the quality is impeccable. Quality metal d-rings, swivel clasps, webbing, and stitching. The only drawback I could find on this topic is on the all weather cover. The actual seams where the waterproof fabric is sewn together, are not taped shut. Though unlikely, in a heavy down pour, water could get through. But it would also have to find its way through the rest of the bag to get to the camera/equipment. But on a good note, the small slits on the side of the AW cover where the shoulder strap d-rings poke through, are taped to prevent tearing of the fabric.

Pockets. The bag has 3 external pockets. The two front pockets are underneath the main flap.

The outermost is covered by a velcro flap. The flap has a nice see-through vinyl window to keep business cards or ID visible when needed. Lift the flap and you’ll find a very versatile pocket with pen holder loops and another small sewn in drop pocket for coins, headphones or other small items.

Next is the larger drop pocket. Inside is a nice tether and clip for keys etc. and also the included memory card wallet.

There’s also a little pocket that is accessible on the front even with the main flap buckled closed.

The last pocket is a zippered pocket on the back of the bag, meant for relatively thin/flat items you need to carry. I suggest this only because it’s the side of the bag that will be resting on you. No need to be poked every time the bag swings into you or across you.

There are 3 slip lock loops on the bag, one on the front (is the leather loop the Lowepro logo is pressed into) and two on the sides just below the d-rings where the shoulder strap attaches.

Inside the main compartment are a few dividers that are customizable with the standard Lowepro velcro system. Two of the dividers are topped with a nice protective leather accent. And they’re also shaped to allow room for the bulky bottoms of larger cameras like the D3, Canon 1Ds, or cameras with a vertical battery grip.

They also threw in a handy micro-fiber cloth to clean a lens with and also lay across LCD screens to protect them. The cloth is stowed away in a nice mesh velcro pouch until it’s needed.

*The cloth is kind of short. So if you attach it to a divider on the right of the camera it probably won’t be able to cover the whole LCD screen. You’re better off velcro’ing the mesh pouch on the left side of the camera. Unlike what I did.

I was able to fit my ultrapod, SB-600 Flash, Tokina 11-16mm, 18-105mm, and D90 with 70-200mm f/2.8 mounted, into the main compartment the other weekend. This was in part, thanks to the expandable bellows that allow more storage space inside. There’s a large zipper just behind the two front pockets that allows for the expansion.

Here’s everything that I carry in the bag most of the time:

My complaints with the bag are minuscule. The shoulder pad on the strap, as others have mentioned in their reviews, doesn’t slide. It’s stitched to the webbing and doesn’t allow the bag to be swung back and forth to gain access to your gear. Between that and the lack of taped seams on the AW cover, this bag is hard to complain about. It works great in the field, great for travel or around town and is built like a tank.

I picked mine up off eBay for around $110 at the time this is being written.

Update: Got a real chance to use this bag during the Memorial Day weekend. This thing is great. It rained a lot and had to use the rain cover on a few occasions with fantastic results. Getting to gear and changing lens was really easy as was concealing it quickly. And in my Fiance’s opinion looks good wearing it around.

Also at work here, a co-worker saw my bag and proceeded to make fun of it, calling it a man purse…chuckle chuckle. I then told her it was my camera bag, to which she replied, “That doesn’t look like any camera bag I’ve ever seen.” That pretty much sells the thing in my opinion, very discreet indeed.

I just received my FastenR-2 from Blackrapid. It’s of simple construction, a threaded bolt, stainless steel puck with a hole drilled in each side and a d-ring that pivots within the holes.

I have yet to actually use the new version on while shooting, but so far it seems to be a great redesign.

So I was reading though my huge list of blog subscriptions last week and I came upon a review on CrunchGear of this new BlackRapid camera strap. After reading the review I started doing some more research on it and after a few days of deliberation, decided to buy.

The idea behind BlackRapids bandolier style of strap is to make it easier to do what all photographers want to do…SHOOT PHOTOS! All BlackRapid straps employ the same design principle that allows the camera to be quickly slid from the resting (waist) position up to the shooting position.

After opening the mesh bag the strap comes in, I began to take a closer look at the strap itself. The build quality looks amazing…not a loose thread or unkempt webbing cut. This particular model, the RS-4, is similar to the original R-Strap (RS-1). It has a similar slim profile but also has a nice slim zipper pocket for storing memory cards, ID, cash, etc.

The RS-4 I received still has the old style FastenR bracket that has been the main topic of debate in others’ reviews. This L shaped bracket screws into the tripod socket on the bottom of either your camera body or the tripod mount of your lens.

*The newer FastenR-2 is an aluminum puck with the screw on one side and a d-ring on the other. You can view the manufacturing schematic for it here.

When I first attached the bracket to my D90, I looked to see how easily this might come loose. But once tightened, it’s not going anywhere. Sure, this is not the same concept as a typical camera strap, and there is the “potential” for it to come unscrewed, but give it a chance. When you actually get your own strap and see for yourself, you’ll have confidence in it too. Plus, as often as we change settings on our cameras, adding a little double check for tightness isn’t too much to do if you’re still unsure.

*You may also use a tripod mount quick release like the this Bogen RC2 unit. I plan on testing this as well. Update: After researching some, I found a user on a Canon forum that had dissected his bogen RC2 tripod plate. He found that the D-ring does not go completely through the thumbscrew and with some effort (albeit quite a bit) the D-ring can be pried loose. And after I tried the plate on my D90, the way the camera was hanging on only one end of the D-ring, it would just be a matter of time before a good jolt pulled it out of its socket.

The strap is attached to the FastenR bracket via the swivel clip shown above. BlackRapids now includes a small piece of clear tubing that slips over the clasp and keeps it from opening unintentionally (which was apparently an issue). The spring tension on the clasp is actually pretty substantial and in my opinion it would be difficult for it accidentally bump open but better to be safe than sorry.

*The above clasp is also being replaced by BlackRapid with a carabiner style clasp with a spin lock.

One of the key reasons I wanted a new strap is due to the pain that the factory Nikon strap caused, especially when paired with some accidental sunburn. Well that problem is solved in two ways, first, the BlackRapid’s strap sits on your shoulder vs. around your neck. Second, the strap actually has some padding and a nice breathable mesh over that. To say the least, this strap is extremely comfortable.

I had a chance to go out this past Sunday during the sunset and shoot a little. It’s hard to believe such a minor improvement on strap design would turn out to be so incredibly innovative. It simply makes an enjoyable task more enjoyable. The camera is easier to work with while moving around, looking at angles, setting up remote flashes, etc… and it’s right there at your side when you’re ready to shoot. This is definitely a must buy!

Enjoy some images captured with the assistance of the RS-4.

Well I received my Nikon D90 about 2 weeks ago now. I’ve had plenty of fun with it so far…and in my opinion, it shoots great quality pictures. I was aware that SanDisk had released a new 30 MB/s edition of their Extreme III SD card to go along with this camera. Well mine arrived yesterday and I thought I’d do a little test to get some real world numbers out of it.

I’ve chosen three SD cards for comparison:

1. SanDisk 4 Gb Extreme III 30 MB/s (Class 6) SD card
2. SanDisk 2 Gb Extreme III 20 MB/s (Class 6) SD card
3. SanDisk 4 Gb SDHC (Class 2) SD card

My test was shooting a simple well lit area of my desk in order to get max fps. All cards were inserted into the D90 then formatted before each test. With the camera set to manual (*Auto-ISO off and Active D-lighting on…I’ll get to that later), Continuous High or CH shutter mode, and JPEG Normal, I proceeded to fire off as many shots as possible before the camera buffer appeared to get full and began to slow down the camera’s ROF (rate of fire).

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My results, though not exact, give you an idea of where the performance lies in this new 30 MB/s card from SanDisk.

1. SanDisk 4 Gb Extreme III 30 MB/s (Class 6) SD card
Approx. 90-95 shots at 4.5fps (after that it slowed to about 3.5-4fps)

2. SanDisk 2 Gb Extreme III 20 MB/s (Class 6) SD card
Approx. 50 shots at 4.5fps (after that it slowed down to a steady 3-3.5fps)

3. SanDisk 4 Gb SDHC (Class 2) SD card
Approx. 15 shots at 4.5fps (after that it slowed down to a about 1.5-2fps)

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The card didn’t offer any kind of speed boost but merely ROF endurance at the camera’s fastest continuous speed.

The card did seem to have a slight quicker rate of review when going through pictures in the playback mode. Also the quick review after you take several continuous shots was quicker too, but nothing amazing. But there is one cool thing, let’s say you’ve shot several of continuous shots like 30-50 for some reason, the live review will keep showing you the latest picture that it has written to the card. It takes a long time to catch up and show the preview of the last in the series. Well if you hit the play button or the shutter half way, the quick review ceases. This allows the writing process to the card to finish as fast as possible. After that, just hit the play button again and you’re able to immediately flip through all of the photos you just shot…instantly. This would be very good for shooting sports, when you might need to check photos quickly then right away begin shooting again. Also, the speed when downloading from the camera to a computer using this new SanDisk Extreme III 30 MB/s SD card is incredibly quick compared to the others. I was able to download 500+ full size jpeg pictures in a 2-3 minutes.

So overall this card has some performance gains over a standard card and the normal Extreme III card in keeping the camera from filling up the buffer.

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(Updated 3-5-09) *Now about the Auto-ISO issue. If Auto-ISO is enabled, and then activated by the camera** this can indirectly inhibit the camera’s ability to buffer. Also these other settings, pulled from the Nikon D90 manual, can cause the same effect…
• ISO is set to H 0.3 or higher
• High ISO NR is on and the ISO is set to 800 or higher
• If long exposure noise reduction is on
• Active D-lighting is on.

Here is the buffer size chart from the Nikon D90 manual…

**Auto-ISO: If the image being metered is going to be underexposed and the shutter speed has to drop below the minimum shutter speed parameter in the ISO sensitivity settings to achieve a proper exposure, only then will the camera force a change in the ISO settings from where you have it set at (i.e. ISO 200) – See below…

With the above settings, only when the camera’s shutter speed drops below 1/30th will the camera adjust the ISO above 200, but it will not exceed 1600.

Often times I turn to books, magazines, or anything else I happen to come across for ideas. Joey, from Wrecked Magazine, pointed out and poked fun a little bit at my taking of random pics with my blackberry’s camera. The truth of the matter is, you never know what or where inspiration may come from. It doesn’t have to come from one particular image or scene that you come across but… that one image or scene could just help add that missing element in a project you’ve been working on.

But other than pictures I take, one of the main sources I have been using lately to get creatively inspired is this series of books. I have two so far, 1000 Type Treatments and 1000 Graphical Elements, both put together by Wilson Harvey and published by Rockport Publishing. They offer such a diverse range of real world works that you’ll never have a creative dry spell again. Check them out.