Captured while testing the new Peak Design Pro tripods. Hello Reader, You may recall that Peak Design provided me with their entire new range of Pro tripods on loan. After testing them over the past month, I have now published my comprehensive review. >> Peak Design Pro Tripod Review Testing the Pro Tripod with my 600mm f/4 My review covers comparisons of all three models, a thorough examination of the available optional accessories, and a comparison with the brand’s hugely popular Travel...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, A couple of months ago I emailed about the outrageously good teleconverter performance of the Sony 300mm GM lens. Knowing how much I enjoy using this lens compared to my 600mm f/4, it got me thinking: should I buy a second one? I know that sounds crazy, but a pair of them would be lighter and cheaper than a 600mm f/4 lens, and using the teleconverters would give me nice combinations of 300mm, 420mm, and 600mm focal lengths. I decided to pull on this thread a little more, so...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Peak Design's Travel Tripod was a huge success when it launched in 2019. Still, many photographers wished for a tripod that had similar features, but offered greater height and better stability for heavier cameras and lenses. Today, that wish has come true. Meet the Peak Design Pro Tripod. At last! A Peak Design tripod for telephoto lenses! Developed with adventure photographer and filmmaker Jimmy Chin. The new Pro Lite, Pro, and Pro Tall carbon tripods have twice the weight...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Cotton Carrier's camera harnesses are great for carrying a camera on a nature walk. Now, they have launched a unique new product that combines those tried and tested products with a sling bag to carry additional gear. I tested it out and compared it to the brand's existing products. Check it out at the link below. >> Cotton Carrier Hyker Review Cheers, Dan Carr - ShutterMuse.com Prefer an email after every new post instead of the highlights? Click here. Unsubscribe · Preferences...
7 months ago • 1 min read
A black-chinned hummingbird from last year's workshop. Hello Reader, Last year, I led a fantastic photo workshop alongside Aaron Baggenstos to photograph the beautiful hummingbirds of British Columbia. We stayed in a beautiful mountain lodge, ate great food, made new friends, and shot thousands and thousands of photos. It was such a blast that we're doing it again in June, and we still have a couple of spaces available. A stunning male calliope hummingbird from last year's workshop. A female...
8 months ago • 1 min read
Sony 300mm f/2.8 = 1.4x Teleconverter Hello Reader, I have owned the Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens for around 12 months. It sits on my shelf amongst my other Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm lenses, giving me a great perspective on its performance. This is a lens designed for sports and wildlife photographers. And yet, nobody would say 300mm is enough focal length for serious shooting of either genre. Why the dichotomy? Focal length flexibility is the key. With teleconverters, you have: 300mm...
9 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Peak Design has been one of my go-to brands for camera-carrying solutions in the past decade or so. I have reviewed every bag they've ever made. Backpacks, camera straps, and sling bags have always been their thing, but many people wondered if they'd ever create a carry-on roller. Today is that day. The new Roller Pro uses an ultra-slim carbon telescoping handle to minimize intrusion into the bag's main compartment, and a new made-to-fit XL Camera Cube allows photographers to...
9 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Last month, the explanation of my current photo backup routine struck a chord with many people. I received a lot of great feedback and quite a few follow-up questions. I love the questions because they help me to shape future content, and that's just what I'm doing today. Regarding travel backups, one commenter asked how I manage my Lightroom catalog while traveling. Truth be told, I have had this same question MANY times before. It has always been clear that this is a sticking...
10 months ago • 1 min read
Sony's new USB-C dual battery charger Hello Reader, Sony's old main-powered camera charger is a clunky 10-year-old design, so I was excited to see them launch a new USB-C dual battery model. The Sony BC-ZD1 is a dual-battery USB-C charger for the NP-FZ100 camera battery used in Sony Alpha cameras such as the a7 IV, a7R V, a9 III, a1, a1 II, FX3, FX30, ZV-E10 II, a6700 and many more older models. In short, if you’re an avid Sony shooter, you are likely dealing with this type of battery. This...
11 months ago • 1 min read