GoPro as a photo camera – overhyped or cool?

September 11, 2023

The GoPro Just a few days ago, GoPro announced the latest version of its iconic Hero action camera. No doubt, the new Hero 12 will turn heads but also receive criticism on the internet for a perceived lack of new features. Time for me to add my 2 cents again. However, I do not want to comment on the outstanding video quality but rather on its ability to capture photos. As I have written before on this blog, the GoPro is not only a great video device but also a very capable photo camera. But as any photographer can attest, …

Part 2: A review of the Samyang 8mm f/2.8 fisheye for Fuji X

April 7, 2016

Over three years ago, I posted a review of the Walimex 8mm f/3.5 fisheye for Nikon. Since then I have sold all my Nikon gear and switched to the Fuji X system. Naturally, one of the first lenses I acquired was the Fuji version of the fisheye. Since the original article is still one of the most popular ones on this blog, I thought it might be time to write an update. Impressions: Samyang Fisheye for Fuji The Fuji version of the Samyang fisheye simply put represents an amazing value for the money that you pay. It’s awell-built lens and feels really …

The Fuji X70 at a concert

March 19, 2016

A few weeks ago, I acquired one of the new Fujifilm X70. Finding a small enough camera that produces really awesome results has always been one of my quests. Unfortunately, to this date I have not found something that I really love. And that’s when the Fuji X70 entered the scene. It seemed small enough while featuring the amazing Fuji image quality. To make it short, I was not disappointed. As a matter of fact, I love this camera and wrote about using it on a run earlier this week. This post is not intended to be a full review …

Garmin Virb – Video quality

July 17, 2014

Garmin Virb Video A few weeks ago, I posted a review of the Garmin Virb action camera. While I mainly use it for taking photos during a run and or bike ride, most people are probably more interested in making videos. The purpose of this post is to expand on the review and to show a quick example of the video quality of this camera. Epic Cycling Most cyclists know that you sometimes experience rides that can only be categorized as ‘epic’. I am still savoring the memories of a bunch of those rides. Unfortunately, in the past it was …

Google adds Analog Efex Pro to the NIK suite

November 10, 2013

Analog Efex Pro Enhancing your photographs in post-production does not require a complicated software package such as Photoshop. The small software company NIK has been known to produce one of the finest toolsets for getting the absolut best out of your photos. It’s a collection of different plug-ins that work with either Adobe Lightroom or Apple Aperture. What makes NIK so powerful is that it is extremely easy to use while employing the probably best algorithms for enhancing your images. You can easily learn how to improve your photos in just a few minutes. Contrast that to learning Photoshop. In …

Fun with the Fisheye

May 24, 2013

The Fish-Eye A few months ago, I reviewed the Walimex/ Samyang fish-eye lens. It’s a great tool and it provides amazing value. The other day, I had some time to really put this lens to use. Below are some of the results. I am still in awe about how well this thing performs on my Nikon D800. It has really become one of my favorite travel lenses.

Nikon D800 Battery Life – Part 2

September 26, 2012

D800 battery life A few months ago, I wrote about my disappointment with the D800 battery life. I was only able to get around 500 photos out of each charge. It was disappointing and also extremely annoying. However, Nikon had a recall on a certain battery batch. There was supposedly a risk of the battery catching fire while being charged. I was happy to find out that my battery was also affected. Kudos to Nikon for the extremely efficient and easy return process. I simply had to fill in a form on their website. Three days later, UPS showed up …

Christoph Papenfuss Photography