Archives for September 2023

Because of the extended holiday closing, the current round of B&H Photo daily deals runs until Sunday at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ Ruggard EPP-CCL Cable Case (8 x 8) for $14
+ the cables want their own BAG the BAGS 🙂

+ Shimoda Explore V2 35 Backpack Starter Kit (Large DSLR V2 Core Unit Modular Camera Insert) for $250
+ for the serious BAG the BAGS aficionado!

+ IK iRig Pre 2 Ultracompact XLR Microphone Interface for $30

+ Oben ALF-6113L Skysill 3-Section Aluminum Tripod with BE-113 Ball Head for $100

We have another scheduling update for B&H. Due to holiday-closing, they will close on Friday at 1pm ET and re-open on Monday October 9 in 2023, so be sure to place your orders now if you have time-sensitive needs!

We have a new set of B&H Photo daily deals good until Thursday 9/28/23 at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ Tenba Cooper 15 Slim Messenger Bag with Leather Accents (Gray) for $136
+ BAG the (messenger) BAG!

+ Benro KoalaPod Kit with Five Legs and Smartphone Holder for $20
+ why a platypus when you can have a koala?
+ and this one doesn’t need to eat leaves!

+ GVM 7017D Aluminum Video Tripod with Fluid Head System for $129

+ CoreSWX Hypercore NEO 9 Mini 98Wh Lithium-Ion Battery (Gold or V Mount) for $199~ each

+ Inovativ Voyager 42 NXT Equipment Cart for $2399
+ or you can buy 2399 one-time-use carts from the dollar store 😉

+ Nanuk 935 Wheeled Hard Utility Case with Foam Insert, two color options, $140 after in-cart couponization

ON THE learnings front, starting on Thursday at 12pm ET, the headliner CreativeLIVE ON-AiR free-streaming class is “Location, Posing, Execution” with Roberto Valenzuela, with a runtime of 12 hours and 53 minutes, so it will air only once in full during the free streaming window.

And just like that it’s Wednesday! Where did half of the week go? Oh my, we are decidedly in the fast-forward timeline! Speaking of which, good until 9/27/23 at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out we have these B&H Photo daily deals:

+ SmallRIG NP-W235 2-Battery Kit with Dual Charger for $29~
+ 12 customer reviews, some happy, some complaining about slow charge and battery not having as much juice as the Fuji batteries
+ NOTE, per the Q&A section over there, the charger offers no thermal protection, that’s why the middle pins are missing
+ then again, you are getting two batteries and a two-slot charger for the price of half a Fuji-branded battery 🙂

+ MINDSHIFT GEAR PhotoCross 13 Backpack (Orange Ember) for $90
+ it looks so beautiful, BAG the BAGS!

+ FLiR LS-X 336 x 256 Thermal Monocular (7.5 Hz) for $1229
+ the UFOs and UAPs are waiting for you!

+ Benro MeVideo Carbon Fiber Livestream Stand for $50

+ Quasar Q-Lion Tube Light (US 3-Light Kit) for $399

+ OBSbot Tiny 2 AI-Powered PTZ 4K Webcam for $249 after in-cart coupon

Can you drink coffee via …Bluetooth? NOT YET! But in the meantime, we have “Bluetooth coffee cups”. No, not what you think. They have detachable Bluetooth …speakers at the bottom! And they are the Tuesday 9/26/23 MEH daily deal, a 2-pack of Zak! Bluetooth Bottles OR Tumblers for $24 plus shipping. The two-pack is two of the same. They [the speakers part] charge via micro USB and two cables are included in the package [in you are getting closer to the milestone of having 100 micro-USB cables!] The tumblers come with a straw as well.

They have over 920 customer ratings at Amazon with a 4.6 out of 5 average.

I must confess I never thought of this combination. I thought Bluetooth could be used to sitr the drink or heat the drink. Now I’m holding out for the OM-mount version of a tumbler 🙂

B&H is back so any recent orders will start getting processed as the Tuesday business day begins. The Tuesday B&H daily deals run until 9/26/23 at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ 1TB Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD for $60 after in-cart coupon, in three color options, great for color-coding data-storage strategies
+ PRO TIP: do not use these shields at Renaissance Fair(e)s or during Game of Thrones or Witcher cosplay!

+ Manfrotto Manhattan Speedy-10 Camera Messenger Bag (Gray) for $60
+ BAG the BAGS, messenger the messengers?

+ Oben ALF-6193L Skysill Series 3-Section Aluminum Tripod with 90° Lateral Center Column for $100

+ Zhiyun CRANE 2S Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer for $239 with FREE Zhiyun TransMount Multifunctional Camera Belt (Medium)

+ 23.8″ Philips 241V8L Monitor for $80
+ 16:9 VA Panel, VGA | HDMI, 1920 x 1080 at 75 Hz
+ Adaptive Sync Compatible

+ FilmCRAFT Pro Series Tall Director’s Chair (30″, Natural Frame, Black Canvas) for $150

ON the LEARNINGS front, the Tuesday Creative LIVE ON-AIR headliner starts at 12pm ET and is something important but often overlooked among creatives, “Intellectual Property 101” with Rachel Brenke, a 79 minute class, so it will repeat multiple times throughout the free-streaming-day.

The Copyright chapter is the “Kindle sample” so you can watch that ahead of time to see if the whole class might be of interest!

The class is short enough to watch if one is not familiar with these topics. The chapters list shows it will cover copyright, trademark, and how it works when working with others. It ends with a Q&A session.

Meditation homework: I held the camera, you pressed the shutter button, we used Mary’s custom camera settings, Joe recommended taking the picture, Ramani owns the camera, Thuy owns the lens, and Jose suggested the framing. Who owns the image? 😉

CALENDAR REMINDER: we are just three months away from Christmas 2023! Have you began your preparations? Gift-giving and gift-receiving lists? The dollar stores are already out of their Xmas decorations, so the time is mayhaps right to start buying Easter and 4th of July decorations 😉

The Sunday B&H Photo daily deals run until Monday at 11:59pm ET as B&H is on holiday and will return Tuesday morning!

+ RucPAC Camera Strap (Black) for $20

+ OWC 650GB Atlas Ultra CFexpress Type B Memory Card for $380
+ OR you can buy 38 32GB SD cards 😉

+ Magnus MaxiGrip Flexible Tripod with GoPro Mount for $8

+ HPRC HP4400F Waterproof Hard Case with Foam (Black with Blue Handle) for $144~

+ Denon AVR-S570BT 5.2-Channel A/V Receiver for $269 after in-cart coupon

+ CoreSWX 7.2V L-Series Lithium-Ion Battery Pack for $40

MEANwhile the headliner of the Sunday CreativeLIVE On-AIR is a 9 hour and 17 minute class by Rachel Brenke, “Balancing Work, Family, and Photography”. The list of 23 chapters should give you a good idea of what to expect. Free-streaming starts, as always, at 12pm ET of each day.

IF you are a big fan of BOOST Mobile, they are offering 100% back at checkout towards select iPhone 15 models providing you are willing to commit to the BOOST Infinite plans starting at $60/month. I’m not familiar with this promotion, so be sure to read up on the details if interested.

The “Top Deals” party continues to …continue at the Adorama dailies.

IF you are fond of refurbished charging, the Sunday Meh daily deal are refurbished Einova Charging Stones for $25 plus shipping, with a 90-day MEH warranty. Two options are available, either two singles or one dual package.

As always on Fridays, the B&H Photo daily deals will run until Saturday at 11:59pm ET (or earlier if sold out), with the customary Sabbath (Fri PM to Sat PM) closing. Additionally B&H will be holiday-closed from Sun PM until Tuesday morning, so plan your orders accordingly.

+ PhotoFLEX RapiDome with Grid Kit for $70

+ SmallRIG Mini Matte Box for $59

+ Benro ArcaSmart Smartphone/Tablet Tripod Holder/Stand for $22

+ SYRP Genie Micro for $30

+ flash deal: SIRUI HC-50 Electronic Humidity Control Cabinet for $135 after $15 mail-in rebate

Friday is here and we have an end of summer MEH-rathon (aka Woot-OFF) at the Meh website. Unlike Woot-OFFs, during MEH-rathons, you can purchase any of the previously posted deals during the day’s MEH-rathon – as long as they remain in-stock of course.

It’s back to basics at the Friday 9/22/23 Creative LIVE On-AiR free-streaming schedule. No, not Pho as in edible Pho, but Photography Fundamentals, an 86 minute class with John Greengo. The class will repeat multiple times throughout the streaming day [starts 12pm ET every day] as its runtime is about 1.5 hours.

There’s no photography without light, and understanding light is key to photography! Which brings us to the headliner free-streaming class at creativeLIVE ON-AiR starting Thursday at 12pm ET, it is the 6 hour and 22 minute class “Understanding Light & Light Modifiers” with Mark Wallace. Given the runtime, it will air three times in full during the free-streaming window.

Adorama continues to run Top Deals mode at their daily deals, while Pepsi fans may be thrilled by Amazon because they have a Pepsi Promotion, spend $60+ on select products and get a $15 Amazon credit towards future purchases. Participating products include Pepsi, Gatorate, Lay’s, Quaker, Tostitos, Miss Vickie, Jacks, Doritos, SodaStream, etc. Everything you need for a quick transition to The Metabolic Syndrome 🙂

Yesterday it was lens day, today is a rather quiet day at the B&H Photo daily deals:

+ Sachtler Ace M Fluid Head with 2-Stage Aluminum Tripod & Mid-Level Spreader for $499

+ Roland mixer, Anton Bauer battery thing, Wall Mounts, Rotary Trimmer, case for a specific video camera (PXW-FX6)

Do you find most of the power banks out there weak and powerless? Well, fear not because the Wednesday 9/20/23 MEH daily deal comes to the rescue with the Puleida 600W/518Wh Portable Power Station offered for $150 plus S&H [free for paying MEH-members]. It comes with a 90-day MEH warranty. It has various options including USB-A, USB-C, PD, AC, DC, but not AC/DC 😉 It weighs 10.4 pounds so you can incorporate it in your workouts as well OR use it as a doorstop or paperweight 😉

The CreativeLIVE ON-AIR free-streaming headliner starting on Wedn 12pm ET has us all confused about day and night 😉 IT is a 65 minute class, “Mobile Photography: Day for Night Effect” with Lisa Carney, and it will repeat multiple times throughout the day!

THEN OFF WE GO to the B&H Photo daily deals good until Wedn at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ TenBA Tools Packlite Travel Bag for BYOB 13 (Black) for $18
+ the BYOB 13 is NOT included
+ the specs say it can hold a DSLR with a 70-200/2.8 lens

+ Sachtler aktiv14T Touch & Go Fluid Head with SpeedLevel & 7-Step Drag (100mm) for $3599
+ PRO TIP: your friend’s back is FREE, but mayhaps slightly less stable than this 😉

+ InoVatiV Pro Monitor Mount for $169

+ GVM Teleprompter Travel Kit with 18.5″ Android All-in-One Monitor and Flight Case for $599
+ Portlandia advised “put a bird on it and call it art”, tech companies are doing the “put Android in it and call it smart” 😉

+ Nanuk 915 Hard Utility Cases with Foam or Dividers (4 options), further discounted in-cart

+ Browning BTC-5HD-APX-20C Strike Force Apex HD Trail Camera (20MP) for $80

The headliner Woot main sale is older iPhones and iWatches, while Woot Sellout is actually featuring a Woot Plus offer that runs until 9/27/23 [or earlier if sold out], and you know what it is [if I’m mentioning it], a BAG the BAGS! It’s the new condition Hikeback Lightweight Packable Backpack- 24L going for $15. Available in four color schemes, so it’s great for color-organizing or person-organizing. It also self-folds into a tight drawstring bag type thing for transportation. Shipping is FREE for Prime members. Comes with a 90-day Woot warranty. It uses “30D nylon”. Because 3D is so last year 😉

SPEAKING of B&H, their next planned holiday closing is Sunday 24 and Monday 25 and will reopen on Tuesday 26. With the usual Sabbath closing Friday PM to Saturday PM, it may be a good idea to place your orders right now if you have a time-sensitive order!

UPDATE: I didn’t want to create a separate post for just this thing, so I’m appending it here. Yes, on this blog, you also get the editing history of posts and you don’t have to be a Platinum member 😉

A limited “daily deal” type of thing at the Monoprice website is the new condition Monoprice USB-C Charger, 100W 1-port PD, GaN Technology, Foldable Wall Plug, going for $22 with free standard US shipping. Averages 4.8 out of 5 based on 11 customer reviews…

Running until Monday 9/18/23 at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out are the following B&H Photo daily deals:

+ CaseLOGIC Viso Camera Backpack (Medium) with FREE Case Logic Saigon Neck Strap for DSLR Cameras (Indigo) for $60

+ RotoLIGHT NEO 3 On-Camera RGBWW LED Light Starter Bundle for $349

+ DataCOLOR SpyderX Pro Colorimeter for $100

+ ROBUS RCM-633 6-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod, 65″ for $90

+ OBSbot Meet HD Webcam for $69

+ GATOR 52″ Utility Cart Standard for $170
+ that’s inches of course; imagine if it was 52 feet!

MEANwhile Adorama continues to run in Top Deals Mode while the Monday Meh daily deal is a 2-pack of TravelSmart by Conair All-in-One Adapter with USB for $20 plus shipping.

ON the .edu front, the CreativeLIVE ON-AIR front, the headliner free-streamer that started on Monday at 12pm ET is “Lifestyle Newborn Photography – In the Home” with Emily Lucazs, runtime 9 hours and 45 minutes, so it will air twice in full during the free-streaming window.

The “invite-only” deals for Prime members are back at the Amazon USA Gold Box. Me personally I find these type of attempts to generate deal-engagement a little bit 2010s, not 2020s 🙂

NO invites and NO prime memberships are needed for another Kindle-crashing sale, this time the Kindle eBook sale has 485 options!

Also open to all is another iteration of the ANKER charging sale, this time with 13 options of the wall and portable charging and of course cables.

Speaking of cables, I would do not want to be Lightning cable seller right now! OUCH!

It just dawned on me, when we say “baby photography” do we mean teach the baby about photography, or photographing the baby, or both?

Which brings us to the headliner Creative LIVE ON-AIR free-to-watch class, starting on Sunday at 12pm ET, “Baby Plans: Photographing the Early Years” with Julia Kelleher, with a runtime of 14 hours and 19 minutes, so it will only stream once during the free-streaming window.

More name-brand products have been added to the rotation at the Adorama Top Deals, while the B&H dailies, because of a holiday, remain the same.

AND IF YOU want to crash your Kindle, Sunday usually has more ebooks on offer at Amazon, the Sunday sale includes Andy Weir (of Matt Damon’s potato fame), Blake Crouch, Hyperion and other scifi classics, Alice Walker, Strange and Norrrelll, James Herrriottt, Joan Didion, U. Eco, Carl Sagan, and lots more!

The Saturday 9/16/23 MEH daily deal is a 2-pack of Bell + Howell TriBurst Pro Triple-Panel LED Light going for $25 plus shipping [free for paying MEH-mbers]. And they screw in a standard socket! Brightness is 5500 lumen(s).

They sell for twice as much at Amazon where they average 4.5 out of 5 on 9300+ customer ratings.

NEXT UP, at the Adorama Top Deals, among the headliners it’s a 3Pod 2-in-1 Arca Swiss Quick Release Plate going for $15.

ON THE e-Learning front, starting on Saturday at 12pm ET, at the Creative LIVE ON-AiR there’s the almost 7 hour long “Lifestyle Family Photography” with Emily Lucarz.

DUE TO a holiday closing, the previously mentioned B&H dailies run until Sunday at 11:59pm ET.

AND IF YOU want to crash your Kindle e-reader, over 2000 ebooks are participating in the Monthly Kindle Deals…

ON THE FREEBIE front, if you are participating in the Lucky’s rewards program (SaveMart, etc), there are two FREEBIEs this weekend, 5 fl oz of Perrona Hot Sauce (various options), and 23.9oz Core Hydration thiing.

Holiday-closing at B&H, which means the latest B&H Photo daily deals run until Sunday at 11:59pm ET, so you have 72 hours to decide if you want them or not!

+ Shimoda Explore 60 Backpack (Blue Nights) for $120

+ 2-pack of Gator Universal Speaker Tote Bag Kit for 8″ Speakers for $80
+ that’s $40 per bag!
+ it doesn’t have pictures of inside the bag, but imagine the size of an 8″ speaker if you want to repurpose these for camera gear
+ also of interest if you literally “bag the bag” for extra protection
+ yes, bag inception is a thing!

+ a rare occasion indeed, TWO different bag options in the daily deals!

+ LitePanels Brick Bi-Color On-Camera LED Light for $289~
+ because [all together now] we can’t have photo-graphy with-out light!

+ Benro ArcaSmart Sidearm Camera Tripod Mount & Smartphone Clamp for $25

ON THE free-streaming CretiveLIVE ON-AiR, the Friday headliner is a 103-minute class by Jared Platt, “Editing and Retouching in Lightroom Mobile”.

LAST CALL! Today’s the last day for the B&H BiLD Expo Specials. Also of note, B&H will be holiday-closing on Friday at 1pm ET and re-opening Monday. So be sure to plan your orders accordingly!

MEANwhile the Thursday 9/14/23 B&H Photo daily deals consist of this four-pack:

+ SmallRIG wireless lens control accessories, three options, $49 to $119

+ NaNuk 933 Case with Dividers and Lid Organizer (Black) for $200 after in-cart coupon

+ Oben CFT-6194L Skysill 4-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod with 90° Lateral Center Column for $150

+ Polsen RM-800 Large-Diaphragm Condenser Mic for $80

Flashpoint flashes continue to lead the way at the new-normal at the ADorama Daily Deals aka Top Deals.

A 65-inch Omni series Fire TV and NFL-licensed products are the current headliners of the Amazon Gold Box, along with a Kindle-crashing sale of 2000+ eBooks.

AND ON THE Creative LIVE ON-AiR front, the free-streaming classes starting at 12pm eastern include “Social Media for Food Photography” (Andrew SCrivani, 62 min) and “Morning Yoga kickstart” (152 min).

Zee clock iz ticking, the B&H BiLD Expo specials expire on 9/14/23!

MEanwhile we have a fresh 4-pack of “regular” B&H Photo dailies good until 9/13/23 at 11:59pm ET:

+ Rotolight NEO 3 Dual Charger and Batteries Bundle for $100
+ only charger and batteries, NO lights and such!

+ Sachtler Dr. Bag 1 for $116~
+ you can also use it as a doctor bag for your studio, and stock photo, and …late-night adventures 😉

+ Magnus TinyGrip Flexible Tripod (Black) for $7

+ open-box Zeiss 10×25 Terra TL Compact Binoculars (Night Blue/Black) for $220

The FLASHPOINT on-camera flashes and transmitters continue to lead the way in the Adorama Top Deals.

ON the FREE-to-WATCH front, the headliner of the Wednesday Creative LIVE On-AIR classes starting at 12pm ET is “Photoshop iPad for Beginners” with Jesus Ramirez, 74 minutes long, so it will repeat multiple times during the streaming day.

ALMOST forgot the most important thing of all, we have an …in-stock alert, the Fall 2023 Trader Joe Fearless Flyer. Yes, it’s a feast of pumpkin and cider!

Good news for procrastinators, the BILD Expo Specials have been extended by one day to 9/14/23!

MEANwhile there is a new 4-pack at the B&H daily deals good until 9/12/23 at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ Benro A474T Aluminum Video Tripod (100mm Bowl) for $210

+ Anton Bauer Titon SL 150 143Wh 14.4V Battery (V-Mount) for $340~

+ AURAY SVRK Series Deep Server Rack, four options, $95 to $125

+ KaiSer Repro Kid Copy Stand for $99

NOTE that there’s an upcoming holiday closure at B&H, from FRiday 9/15 at 1pm ET until Monday 9/18, so be sure to organize your orders accordingly.