Search results for: outdoors news
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by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
For macro photographers, having the right gear is essential. Magnification and lighting are key, but you don’t necessarily need the biggest, priciest macro lenses out there to get close-up shots. If you’re a macro photographer yourself or buying a gift for one, we have some excellent recommendations for every budget.
Gifts Under $50
1. Close-up macro filters (like this Macro Lens
by Luke Rollins · Posted
It’s easy to overlook the fact that when you’re buying a camera, you’re not just buying the body—you’re buying the mount system and all the lenses, too. After a camera and two lenses, you’re locked in, and switching brands becomes as difficult as moving apartments or buying a new car. Sure, making a camera and making a lens are different beasts, and while in truth there are great cameras and great lenses across all the brands, some companies do some things a little better than others. And let’s face it—you know somebody is going to ask you
by Morgan Lyle · Posted
You don’t have to be a hunter to have fun with a trail camera. Monitoring your property with one (or a few) of these handy little gadgets is a fascinating hobby for birders, wildlife enthusiasts, kids, or just folk who enjoy being surprised at what goes on in their backyard after dark. Also known as a trap, game, or wildlife camera, a trail camera is equipped with a passive infrared motion detector that triggers the shutter when an animal (or trespasser) walks into
by Christopher Witt · Posted
You see a flutter of color outside of your kitchen window. You rush over, only to see this mystery critter as a distant speck working its way through the dense shrubs of your yard—it's just too far and too obscure to make it out. What do you do? Do you shrug it off and go about your day, or do you grab a pair of binoculars to get a closer view?
We know what our answer would be, and we feel that nearly every household could use a trusty pair of binoculars, also called "bins" for short. Whether it's for bird watching, sporting events, the opera
by Christopher Witt · Posted
From personal experience, whenever I try to describe to someone who’s never seen what the rings of Saturn look like through a telescope or how a sunspot moves and changes shape as it transits the chromosphere over the course of weekend, there is definitely something lost in the telling. Wouldn’t it be great if even a novice astronomer with just some basic gear and knowledge could capture their own images of heavenly bodies to post on social media or (to go old-school) print them and hang on a wall?
Well, wish no more, dear reader! We live in
by Christopher Witt · Posted
We’re all familiar with basic handheld flashlights and how they generally work: switch for on/off and maybe different brightness levels. But their convenience is often their greatest drawback; they’re handheld—meaning that if you need more than one hand, you’re pretty much out of luck (unless you want to hold one in your mouth. Yuck). But there’s good news! We’re living in a future benefiting from advances in LED and battery technologies and there is a growing list of options for lightweight
by Christopher Witt · Posted
A great deal of mystery and misconception surround the topic of observing the sun and solar eclipses, and while you should absolutely not look directly at the sun without proper protection, we here at B&H have got you covered on how to enjoy viewing the sun and, later this year, the solar eclipse. Read on to see what’s available for you, if you’re interested in investing in a dedicated solar telescope.
White Light or Narrow Band?
Right out of the gate, you need to decide: White light or Narrow-band (Targeted) viewing? For specifics about
by Morgan Lyle and Ryan Zanoni · Posted
The fan of fresh air in your life might just be the easiest person to please at the holidays. Practically all outdoor activities require some kind of gear, and new products come along on a regular basis to make those activities safer, easier, and more fun. If there’s a challenge, it’s narrowing down the gift choices for your favorite outdoors enthusiast. Fortunately, B&H is here to help, with a great selection of gear for everyone from the casual dabbler to the obsessed adventurer.
Optics: Getting a Better View
Everyone should have a nice
by Christopher Witt · Posted
Unless you’re exceptionally light sensitive, you probably regard sunglasses as an accessory to your outfit or a convenience that you can live without if you forget them when you leave the house. The truth is that sunglasses are an important piece of protective gear that every person should wear. Recent studies have shown that incidents of cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and a slew of other eye conditions are on the rise and the average age of
by michael sukhotin · Posted
Most of us probably have seen, in the movies or on TV, Special Forces people looking like hybrids of human and machine with sophisticated night vision devices covering their faces, enabling them to see in the dark. Previously, these gadgets were reserved for special agencies and the military. Today, with the advancement of technology and lower costs of manufacturing, these devices have appeared on the consumer market. Even if you are not the type to storm buildings under cover of night, they may prove helpful and greatly enhance your hobbies
by Joseph Albanese · Posted
For some, there is nothing better than cooking directly over an open fire. Fire can be mesmerizing—I challenge you to look away from the campfire when there’s one near. You can’t, and no one else in your party will be able to either. The way the flames dance seems to transfix all those whose gaze happens to fall upon it. There is certainly is something about the crackling roar wood gives off as it succumbs to the flames surrounding it, transforming into embers. And wood smoke definitely has a certain appeal to it, as well; the way it cloaks
by Ryan Zanoni · Posted
It is 2015 and, still, a staggering 90-95% of the Earth’s oceans remain unexplored. This seems unbelievable, given the incredible advancements we’ve seen in technology over the years, and the fact that we’ve even explored the Moon and planets in some detail. Indeed, it has been said that we know more about the surface of the Moon or Mars than about the ocean floor. How is it that the vast majority of the ocean, which makes up 70% of our own planet, is as yet undiscovered? It speaks to the sheer vastness and depth of the underwater realm. It
by Ari Erenthal · Posted
We’ve all seen video from surveillance cameras, whether on news programs, TV and/or movies, and via the Internet. Surveillance can and should be an important part of a physical protection system, and helps provide peace of mind to homeowners, parents, and employers, by allowing you to keep an eye on things when you cannot be physically present. However, there is an enormous range of products available, with great variations in price, complexity, and